


The Stray

by CanineWitchcraft



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Holtzmann is an adorable dog, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Shapeshifting, slow burn?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-08-24 14:24:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8375587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanineWitchcraft/pseuds/CanineWitchcraft
Summary: While walking home from work one night Erin finds a stray dog and brings her home. Little does she know that the stray she brought into her apartment is actually a shapeshifter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is my first fic in this fandom and I wrote it pretty late at night, so please, be gentle.....

Erin hated walking home late at night, let alone late at night while it was snowing. Her apartment wasn’t far from the firehouse, only a few blocks. Close enough that getting a cab was a waste, yet far enough that it was a pain to walk home. She was a block away from her apartment building when a loud crash drew her attention down an alley. She paused, pulling her Swiss army knife out of her pocket as she stared down the alley at a toppled over garbage can.

 

Sticking out from the garbage can was canine butt. Erin relaxed and put the knife away. The rest of the dog backed out of the garbage, holding a banana peel. The dog tossed it on the ground and looked at the peel disapprovingly. She left the banana peel and limped over towards the next trashcan.

 

The limp got Erin. She sighed and walked towards the dog. As she approached she bent down and pointed her shoulder at the animal in an attempt to look as non-threatening as she could. She was a few feet from the dog as she kneeled down and made little kissing noises at the creature.

 

The dog was filthy and smelled like a dumpster. Covered in dirt and grim, she looked as if she was a solid brown color. She had long hair and Erin thought she looked a bit like a border collie, but it was hard to tell in the dark. The dog looked at her with her head low and eyes wide.

 

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.” Erin said, “Are you hungry? I’ve got some meat in my fridge.” She could have sworn the dog understood what she was saying. She lifted her head up and her eyes softened before she took a hesitant step towards her. “That’s it.” She said as the dog limped towards her, “Aw, you poor baby.”

 

The dog let Erin touch her under her chin. Erin was slow and careful as she let her hand stroke the dog’s side and eventually came to rest on the animal’s injured front leg. She wasn’t putting any weight on her left front leg. It dangled there, useless and painful. “You aren’t going to let me carry you to my apartment, will you?”

 

The dog tilted her head to the left with wide curious eyes.

           

Erin found a rope in the alley and tired a lose loop around one end. She put it over the dog’s head, surprised to find the stray so willing to cooperate. She couldn’t help but think that the dog knew she was going to help her. The two walked the last block together and into Erin’s apartment bulding. The door man oh’ed and ah’ed over the injured dog and wished her luck in recuperation as he held the door open for them.

           

Once in Erin’s apartment she dropped the rope, letting the dog drag it around the apartment. She followed Erin into the kitchen where Erin pulled out a bag of cubed beef she had been planning on using in a stir-fry. She hand feed a few pieces, breaking them into small bit with her hands. The dog ate them without hesitation and licked Erin’s hands clean when she stopped handing her pieces.

“Sorry, sweetheart, I don’t want to give you too much and make you sick.” Erin said as she put the rest of the meat in the fridge, “I don’t know how much you’ve eating in the past week and too much could hurt you.” She scratched the dog under her chin before standing and put her hands on her hips. She let out a huff, “You are not going to like this next part.”

 

The dog let out a nervous whimper.

 

* * *

 

Bathing the dog proved to be easier than she had imagined. While she had protested and attempted to drag Erin out of the bathroom at first, once she was in the bathtub, things went much smoother. Erin had had a dog in this apartment before. It had been years ago, but she managed to dig up an old bottle of dog shampoo from the back of her cupboard.

 

She ended up washing the dog twice before she was able to get all the caked on mud, dirt, and the awful smell off of her fur. There weren’t any mats, except for a small dreadlock that had formed in her tail, which Erin cut off.

 

Underneath all that mud and dirt was indeed a border collie. From what Erin could tell, she looked to be pure bred. She was blonde and white, rather than the solid brown Erin had thought she was. Her ears stood straight up, she had beautiful blue eyes, and her tail had a slight hook at the end.

 

Now clean, Erin was able to see the injured leg better. There was no broken skin and no blood, but as she felt her way up the leg, she realized that the dog’s shoulder was dislocated. “You’ll have to go to the vet tomorrow.” The dog looked up at her with a tilted head and bright eyes that made Erin smile.

 

Erin dug through her closet, remembering too late that she had given her crate away a year ago. She sighed and turned to the dog, “You promise not to destroy my apartment while I sleep?”

 

The dog let out a low whine and wagged her tail.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

 

Erin laid out an old blanket over her comforter and helped the dog onto her bed. She crawled under the blankets and smiled at the Border collie curled up at the foot of her bed. “What am I going to call you?” She asked.

 

The dog tilted her head at the question and Erin couldn’t help but mimic her with a smile. She wagged her tail when Erin moved her head and gave her an excited wooing sound.

 

“I’ll sleep on it and see what I come up with, okay?” Erin asked the dog, reaching down and giving the animal a gentle pat before turning the lights off and settling into bed.

 

The dog waited for Erin’s breathing to slow and even out before she jumped off the bed and pushed the door open with her nose. She looked back at the human sound asleep in bed before limping down the hallway and into the kitchen. She peered back down the hallway, waiting to see if the human had heard her.

 

After a few minutes of silence the dog let out a soft sigh. Her body contorted and stretched until sitting where the dog had sat was a woman with long blonde hair. She stood up, stretched, and rubbed her sore shoulder. The woman looked back down the hallway, checking again to make sure that the other woman hadn’t heard her.

 

Satisfied that the human was still asleep, She opened the refrigerator and dug around until she found some ham and sliced cheese. She made a haphazardly thrown together sandwich and inhaled it as if it was it was the only thing she had eaten all day.

 

She headed towards the door to the apartment before pausing and looking back down the hallway. She stared at the half opened bedroom door for several minutes.

 

“Don’t over stay your welcome, Holtzmann.” She whispered to herself, grabbing the doorknob and pausing again. She looked back down the hall. She had liked the way that the woman had smiled at her. She had been so gentle and kind. Most people wouldn’t bat an eye at a stray dog wandering the streets, but she had. Not only that, but she had said she was going to take her to a vet tomorrow.Holtz looked at her shoulder and sighed. She knew she needed medical attention, either form a human doctor or a vet. She hated to take advantage of the woman, though.

 

Holtzmann let out a soft groan and shifted back into a dog. She limped down the hall and back into the bedroom. After a few tries, she managed to climb back onto the bed and curled up against the woman’s back. _I’ll repay you,_ she thought, _somehow…._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments and kudos! Hope you all enjoy the next part.

Erin awoke to a warm feeling along her back. A smile spread across her face when she saw the stray sprawled out against her. The dog was lying on her back, with her legs up in the air. Erin scratched at the dog’s chest. Her eyes opened and she rolled over so that her legs were on Erin. She sniffed at her face before giving Erin’s nose a quick lick. Erin laughed, which made the dog’s tail wag.

 

“I think I have a name for you.” Erin declared, which made the dog tilt her head, “How about Nova? As in Super Nova.”

 

Holtz tilted her head in the opposite direction. _Nova? Well, it’s better than the last name a human gave me. Ha, Daisy, so not me!_ Holtz, or rather, Nova gave Erin a tail wag of approval. _It really doesn’t matter what she calls me. She’ll only know me as a dog._

 

Nova got up and limped to the edge of the bed. She crouched down and readied her self to jump off before Erin yelled, “No! Wait, ah, stay.” Nova lay down and stared at her with a slight head tilt. “I’ll help you down.” She didn’t fight or complain as Erin helped her off the bed, it was less painful that way.

 

After Erin ate, she dug around her closet and found a very large dog collar, leash, two large bowls, and an equally large stand for them to sit on. She left the stand and placed the bowls on a mat in the kitchen. She filled one with water, and the other with rice, a raw egg (broken shell included), and a few pieces of the cubed meat from last night. Nova eyed the meal, particularly the eggshell. She tilted her head up at Erin.

 

“It’s okay. Go on.” Erin encouraged, “Eggshells are good for you. My last dog loved them.”

 

Nova gave the canine equivalent of a shrug and dug in. To her surprise the eggshell wasn’t terrible. It was crunchy, kind of like a pringle, but not as salty and wonderful. While the meal was bland, it was filling and probably the healthiest meal she’d ever eaten as human or canine.

 

She limped out of the kitchen and into the living room where she found Erin fumbling with the large collar she had taken from the closet. She had it as small as it would go and it was still quite large.

 

“Sorry,” Erin said, “This is the only collar I have. We’ll get you one that actually fits after we go to the vet.” She put the collar around her neck and sat back with a weak smiled. The collar was a good three sizes too big for the Border collie and almost as wide as her neck. It made her look quite goofy.

 

Nova tried to bend her head down so she could sniff the collar, before giving up and giving it a shake. It spun around her neck with easy. If her nose had been pointed towards the floor the collar would have spun over her head.

 

“Maybe we’ll get a collar before we go to the vet.”

 

Nova wagged her tail in agreement.

 

* * *

 

Both Erin and Nova were sitting in one of the small rooms at the vet. X-Rays had already been taken of Nova’s shoulder and they were waiting for the vet to come back with a diagnosis. Nova sat leaning against Erin’s leg, drumming her tail happily against the linoleum, while Erin scratched her neck under her new collar. They had found what Erin called the perfect collar. It was white with red retro styled atoms. It also came with a matching leash. Even Nova had to admit, it look pretty good.

 

The vet came back, x-rays in hand. He held the x-rays up to the light and showed Erin the problem. “It’s a luxation. Some crate rest and a tightly wrapped brace around the shoulder and she should be okay. We’ll give you an anti-inflammatory and a painkiller. She’ll be okay in two weeks or so.” He set the x-rays down and kneeled down to pet Nova, “We didn’t find a micro chip, so she’s probably just a stray.” He scratched behind her ears and she couldn’t help but lean into his hand. “Would you like to have her micro chipped?”

_Whaaaaat!?_ Nova’s tail stopped wagging at the mere mention of a microchip.

 

“Yes, that would be great and a rabies vaccination, too.”

_Aw, Erin, no! Not great!_

 

“Of course,” he smiled, “I’ll be back.”

 

He left and Nova leaned against Erin again and let out a high-pitched whine.

 

“It’s okay. It’ll just be like a pinch.” She said, stroking the dog’s head.

 

The vat came back needle in hand. Nova let out a low grumble at him and flattened her ears. “I’ll go get a vet tech to restrain her.”

 

“No, that’s not necessary.” Erin said. She gently grabbed Nova’s front end and muzzle, being careful not to touch her left shoulder. Not too keen on being manhandled, Nova tried to back out of the hold, but the vet was too quick. He had placed himself right against her butt and gave her no way of getting loose. One option popped into her head; _bite Erin._ She quickly shook the idea away. She felt the pinch Erin had warned her about and it was all over. There was one more pinch and they released her.

 

Nova shook herself. _Great, now I’m officially someone’s pet._ The thought made her shake herself again.

 

The vet showed Erin how to wrap her shoulder and gave her the meds. She paid the bill and they were on their way. It took them a couple tried to find a Taxi driver that was okay with a large dog in his back seat. Once inside, she gave the driver the address to the fire station and they were on their way. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick text to Abby. ‘I have a small surprise.’ It read. Abby sent back a question mark. Erin was too busy smiling down at the dog curled up against her with her head on lap to reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of Dog Holtz's antics are based off of my new Border collie, Gabe. I've had him almost two months now and he does a lot more cute and adorable things than my other BC. He's really goofy so I figured he'd be a good model for Canine Holtz.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the last update I'll post for a few days, maybe a week. I'm in the process of moving so I'll be a bit busy.... But don't worry! I will post an update...soon....

“You got a dog?” Abby said as soon as they entered the firehouse. Her tone was not particularly pleased.

 

“Yeah…” Erin stuttered, “Well, I found her.”

 

While Abby was hesitant about the dog, Patty was not. In fact, Patty hadn’t even said hello to Erin yet. Instead, she was on the floor rubbing Nova's chest and scratching behind her ears. “Aren’t you just the cutest thing?” Nova was eating the attention up and licked Patty’s face, as the woman loved her up.

 

“Her name’s Nova.” Erin said, looking at Abby, “She’s very sweet.”

 

Abby narrowed her eyes at Erin as she approached, “You keeping her?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Good.” And at that, Abby got down on the floor and joined Patty.

 

“Careful of her left leg. She has a dislocated shoulder.”

 

“Oh, you poor baby!” Abby said in a high-pitched voice. Nova had moved over and had started licking Abby’s face. “Erin better bring you everyday so Auntie Abby can give you treats and spoil you.”

 

Patty snorted, “Yeah, and Auntie Patty’s gunna make sure you don’t get fat from all those treat.”

 

“She wouldn’t be fat. She’d be pleasantly round.”

 

“A border collie should not be pleasantly round. They are active dogs. They need a job. You sure you can handle her?” Patty said, turning her attention to Erin for the first time since she’d walked in. “My uncle had one a few years back. Drove him nuts.”

 

“Yeah, my grandma used to train them and I’ve had active dogs before. It’s been a little while, but I think I can handle her.”

 

Nova couldn’t help but grin. _Good luck with that._ She thought.

 

Kevin finally took notice of the three women standing at the door and walked over to them. “A dog!” He said when he came up to them. “Aren’t you cute.” He said, giving Nova a rough pat on the head. “I should bring Mike Hat by and let ya play.”

 

 _Cat?_ Nova tilted her head at him, _Cats are cute and all, but why would I play with a cat._

Erin took Nova upstairs to where her space was. Abby was right next to her in a lab that made Erin’s room look like a closet. That's the way Erin liked it though. it was cozy and the perfect size for her. They had to walk through the lab to get to Erin’s room. Nova found the lab particularly interesting. She tried to stand on her hind legs as they walked past to get a better look at all the machinery and ghost capturing equipment that was laid out.

 

“No.” Erin said in a soft but deep voice, “Those aren’t toys for doggies.”

 

 _None sense! Those are definitely toys for this doggie!_ Nova thought, _Come on! Let me at it! Let me at! I can make all that work ten times better. No! Twenty times better!_

Erin had to drag her into her room. She got Nova situated on her futon and set to work at her whiteboard. There was a long math equation already on the white board. Nova watched her intently after reading through what she had so far. It was fascinating. She was no expert on physics, but she knew enough to get her into trouble. What Erin was working on was beautiful. 

 

Erin noticed that Nova was looking at the board and grinned. "I'm trying to predict the frequency that ghosts will appear naturally from Lay Lines."

 

Nova wagged her tail and gave her an excited woo.

 

Later in the afternoon, Erin was so focused on her equation that Nova was able to sneak out of the room and into the lab where Abby was working on modifying a proton pack. She was not being particularly successful and kept yelling at the device. Nova crawled onto the chair that sat a couple feet away from where Abby stood. The proton pack zapped her and Abby snarled and cursed, shaking her hand. She noticed Nova sitting there and couldn’t help but smile. “When did you get here?” She gave Nova an ear scratch before returning to her work. “I don’t suppose you know anything about Engineering?”

 

 _Yes, actually._ Nova let out a soft whine in response. _Don’t cross those wires._

Abby did just that and got zapped, again. “God-.” She held her breath, trying to hold the swear in. “Not in front of the kid.” She said, leaning closer to Nova and giving her another pet.

 

 _Kid? Seriously? I’m in my thirties. Humans, man…so strange…._ Nova put her paw on Abby's hand and wagged her tail.

 

* * *

 

It took Erin a while to fall asleep. She tossed and turned, couldn’t get comfortable or couldn’t shut her brain off. Nova wasn’t sure which. She lay at the foot of the bed for a while before moving closer to Erin in the hopes that a warm body would help her relax. It did. Erin ended up draping her arm over Nova and buried her face into the scruff of her neck. Nova waited an hour after Erin had fallen asleep before she scooted back from under Erin’s arm and jumped, carefully, off the bed.

 

She couldn’t sleep. She was too wired from the medication. So, she limped down the hallway and loosened the wrap on her shoulder before shifting into her human form. Holtzmann, now fully human, made her way into the living room. She found the TV remote and turned it on, being sure to keep the volume as low as possible, as to not wake Erin. But with three rooms between them, she was sure that the redhead couldn’t hear her or the TV.

 

She selected a Golden Girl’s rerun and began re-wrapping her shoulder. Once finished she pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped herself in it. While being a shape shifter had many perks. One of them was not being able to keep your clothing when you shifted. So of course, all she had on was the dog collar Erin had bought and the bandage around her shoulder. To top it all off, Erin liked the apartment a rather cold temperature of 63 degrees, which, for a dog was wonderful, but for a naked human, not so much.

 

It was about 2 in the morning when Holtz started to fall asleep on the couch. She turned the TV off and shifted back into her dog form. She limped back into the bedroom and crawled into bed. She curled up close to Erin and fell asleep to the soft breathing of the other woman.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not being able to sleep in a hotel means that you guys get another chapter! Enjoy! 
> 
> Also, sorry, it's a little sad.......but also kinda cute?
> 
> Also also, I changed to a Teen Rating cause I just needed to curse and also there might be a bit of blood and stuff a few chapters down the road and I wanted to cover all my bases.

Erin whimpered in her sleep and clutched onto her pillow until her knuckles turned white. She shuddered and let out another whimper, burying her face deep into the pillow. It had been a week since Nova had come into her life. They had developed quite the routine, part of which Erin hadn’t known about. But last night had been the first time that routine had been interrupted. Erin and Nova had stayed late at work. They had gotten back around midnight and Erin had collapsed into bed as soon as they had walked through the door.

 

Erin shook and Nova jumped to her paws, letting out a low grumble. There was nothing in the room. She tilted her head before turning her attention back to Erin. _Nightmare._ She let out a whine and gave Erin a nudge with her nose. Erin let out another whimper. The dog pawed at Erin and then pressed her nose against her cheek. She waited a moment and then licked her face.

 

It only took a couple of licks for Erin to awake. She let out a slight gasp and stared blankly into the darkness of her room before reality drifted back to her. Her arms wrapped around Nova as she buried her face in her neck. They sat there for several minutes. Nova leaned into Erin and Erin tightened her grip on the dog as she hid tears that streamed down her cheeks and into Nova’s mane. Once her breathing calmed and her tears subsided, she leaned back and wiped her face. “Thank you.” She murmured.

 

Nova lay across her lap and leaned into Erin’s stomach as she ran her hands over Nova’s back in slow rhythmic motions. _I got you._ Nova thought, _I won’t let anyone hurt you._ She wanted Erin to tell her what the dream was about. Past humans she had lived with had done this and they always seemed to feel better. But Erin said nothing. She just sat there and ran her hand from Nova’s head, down her spine to the base of her tail.

 

After a few strokes she stopped and rubbed her temples before leaning over towards her bedside table. She pulled out a pill bottle and a half full water bottle. She swallowed a pill and put both bottles back in the draw before settling back into the bed. Nova stretched out next to her, leaning into her chest.

 

Erin’s hand started stroking her side, gliding from the Border collie’s shoulder down to her hip, only to start over again at her shoulder. After a handful of strokes Erin’s movements slowed and eventually came to a stop, her hand resting on Nova’s shoulder.

 

 _How had I not noticed her taking medication?_ Nova wondered. She nuzzled into Erin as she slept, _You aren’t forgetting on my watch ever again._ Nova drifted off to sleep shortly after.

 

* * *

 

Erin snoozed four times before she turned her alarm off. It wasn’t until an hour later that both dog and human got out of bed. Erin made Nova’s breakfast first; slipping her meds into a chunk of meat where she thought Nova wouldn’t find them. She did. She ate them anyway.

 

Erin just had toast, burnt toast, which she nearly, but didn’t, curse at. “I don’t know why I don’t throw this stinking thing away.” She grumbled as she bit into a piece of charcoal that had once been bread. Nova hobbled onto her hind legs and glared at the toaster. _You and me, buddy. Tonight. I’m tearing into you and fixin’ you!_

Abby and Patty didn’t say anything when Erin and Nova came in late. Late was an understatement. They were usually the first to arrive in the morning at seven am. This was not late. This was more like a half day. It was noon. Nova notices a hint of worry on both women’s faces as Erin and her walked past. Neither woman said anything.

 

Abby had placed a few sheets of schematics with calculations on them on Erin’s desk. Nova noticed a sticky note at the top of the messy pile.. Erin read it and tossed it in the wastebasket. She sat down and began looking over the sheets. Nova hobbled over to the post-it-note in the trash and was able to read what it said: Check my numbers. There was a little heart drawn at the bottom.

 

Five o’clock rolled around with great haste. Erin had finished the calculations and had turned her attention back to the equation on her white board. She had been staring at it for over an hour when Patty popped her head in.

 

“We’re headin’ out for the night.” She paused, waiting for Erin to move away from her board. She didn’t. “Er, come on. Go home. Sleep.”

 

“I’m almost done.”

 

 _Almost done my ass._ Nova let out a high pitch bark.

 

“See, Nova wants to go home.”

 

“I’ve almost got it, Patty. I’m close.”

 

“Baby girl, go home. Rest. It’ll be here in the morning.”

 

Erin sighed. She looked away from her board for the first time in an hour and over at the woman standing in her doorway. Patty was smiling at her, her eyes seemed to twinkle when Erin made eye contact with her. Erin’s eyes drifted over to Nova who was sitting on the futon tail waging. She glanced back at the board.

 

“I ain’t leaving until you leave.” Patty declared.

 

Erin sighed again and grabbed her coat and Nova’s leash. Patty followed her out and walked with her to her apartment. “You don’t have to walk with us.” Erin muttered.

 

Patty laughed, “I know you better than that. If I don’ walk you to your apartment you’ll just turn around and go back. I know how you work.”

 

Erin huffed a sigh.

 

When they arrived at Erin’s apartment building Patty put her arms around Erin and pulled her into a tight hug. “The bad days out number the good.” She whispered into Erin’s ear. “We are _always_ here for you.” Erin buried her face into Patty’s shoulder. Nova watched them stand like that for a few minutes before the two split. Erin waited with Patty while she flagged down a cab.

 

Once in her apartment, Erin made a quick dinner for herself and set Nova’s dinner on the floor. The two watched TV for a few hours before Erin made her way to bed. Before she had a chance to take her medication, Nova opened the drawer, grabbed the pill bottle, and took it too her in the bathroom.

 

“What are you-”

 

Nova jumped up on the counter and deposited the bottle there before going to the doorway and settling on the floor. Erin looked at her with a gaped mouth before shaking her head and looking at the bottle. “Smart dog.” She said, before setting the bottle down and pulling another from the bathroom cabinet, “But those are for nights when I forget.”

 

They went to bed. Nova waited the usual hour after Erin had fallen asleep before jumping off the bed and changing into her human form. She peered through the cracked open door at Erin sound asleep in her bed. Erin let out a soft murmur in her sleep. Holtz could see a small smile spread across her lips. “Sleep well.” Holtz whispered before tiptoeing down the hallway and into the kitchen, where she set to work on the toaster.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short, but here it is! I'm officially back home and working on unpacking. So chapters will be slow coming.  
> I hope you all like it and enjoy it!

“She’s healed up better than I would have thought.” The vet said as he looked at Nova’s new x-rays. “You can introduce exercise into your routine, but only a small amount. I’d say a mile a day should do it.”

 

“Okay, I think we can mange that.” Erin said, giving Nova a quick wink.

 

“Limit her jumping down on things for a while though. I’d say a few weeks, and try to avoid stairs for a week.”

 

“I’ve been carrying her up and down the stairs at work, so, we can keep doing that.” She nodded at Nova, who was wagging her tail with great vigor.

 

“You did a good job. These types of dogs can be hard to keep inactive even for a couple of days.” The vet said, “I’m really quite impressed.”

 

Erin smiled at this and blushed a little, unsure of what to say, “Thank you.”

 

“You can increase her activity gradually after two weeks or so. You two have a good day.” He reached down and put Nova’s head in his palm and gave her a good rub, “You stay out of trouble. And no more dislocated shoulders, ha?”

 

Nova gave him a sharp bark, _I’ll try not ta, Doc._ Then she looked back at Erin and an unwelcome thought entered her mind. _I’m healed. I can leave now…._ The thought wouldn’t leave her mind as they climbed into a cab bound for the firehouse. _Should I leave? I owe her so much…but I don’t want to take advantage._

Nova and Erin ended up stopping at a coffee shop and grabbed coffee for Erin and the other two women at the fire station. Nova drooled slightly at the smell of the fresh coffee as they loaded back up into the cab and continued to the station.

 

As soon as they walked through the door, Erin took Nova’s leash off and let her loose in the station’s large open first floor for the first time. All her worry was forgotten. The energy that had been building up for the past two weeks was free. She made a beeline to Patty’s library in the back of the building. She barked when she got a few feet away from where the historian was bent over a desk reading a large, leather bound book. Patty looked up from her book and turned around to face the blonde border collie. She was in a play bow with her butt in the air and tail wagging.

 

“Well look at you. Off leash and running around.”

 

Nova bounced up onto her hind legs. All four paws were on the floor within a second and she was running around and sliding across the floor and an unbelievable speed for such a small dog.

 

After a few seconds of bounding back and forth, never leaving the immediate area of the library, she fell back into the play bow position in front of Patty. The woman couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“You’ cute. I’ll give you that.” Patty said as she got up and bent down in front of the dog, giving her a gentle scratch behind her ears. “She off crate rest?” She asked as Erin walked up to them and set the coffee down on the desk.

 

“Yep. She’s allowed one mile walks once a day for the new couple weeks then we can gradually increase it. She still has to take it easy though and not do too much on that shoulder.” Erin said, before turning her attention to the dog, “So, zoomies need to be kept to a minimum.” There was a grin on her face that made her eyes light up. It covered her face from ear to ear.

 

Patty laughed, getting up and grabbing the coffee marked with two sugars, “Ya know, you lucky you found that dog.”

 

“Ha?”

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

 

Nova pricked her ears up and tilted her head over at Erin. _She’s happier?_

“I don’t know about that.” Erin said with a blush. She pushed her hair back behind an ear and fiddled with her fingers, “Well, I guess you’re right. I have been feeling quite a bit better.”

 

_She’s been feeling better? Because of me!?_

 

“Good.” Abby said, having smelled the coffee from the lab. Her sudden appearance made both women jump, “It’s about time.” She grabbed her coffee, took a sip and smiled, “We should have gotten you a dog months ago if it meant you’d bring us coffee.”

 

Nova thumped her tail against the tile. _I make her happy. She’s happier because of me!_ She found herself beginning to vibrate with excitement and jumped up on Erin, who grinned and rubbed her shoulders, before setting her back down on the ground. _I make her happy._ She looked at the human, her human. _I could stay for a while, at least until I find a suitable way to repay her kindness. It’s been a while since I’ve lived with a human. Perhaps it would be good for me…and her._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are not a fan of foul language...I'm sorry....

Erin sat on the futon. Her legs were crossed, fingers rubbing her chin as her eyes narrowed on the white board. Nova was lying close to her, so close that she was basically on top of her leg. After a few minutes of staring at the board, Nova sat up and put a paw on Erin’s lap. Erin glanced over at the dog and gave her a smile. “I know. I’ve been staring again.” She wrapped an around the dog and scratched her chest.

 

“We got another one!” Abby called from downstairs.

 

Erin’s eyes widened, “Oh no.”

 

Nova’s tail waged and she let out a high-pitched yip before running out the door towards the stairs. Erin followed and carried the dog down the steps to where Abby and Patty were suiting up.

 

“What am I going to do with Nova?” Erin asked as she slid into her jump suit.

 

“Leave her here like you always do.” Abby said.

 

“Kevin isn’t here.”

 

“So, leaving her with Kevin is basically leaving her here alone.”

 

“I don’t know….”

 

“Just bring her along.” Patty interjected, “She can guard the car.”

 

Abby leaned back, her right eye brow pushing up. Erin slid her arms into the jump suit and crossed her arms, looking down at Nova. Her tail wagged and her tongue hung out of the side of her mouth as she looked up at Erin.

 

“Come on. We have a lot of valuable equipment in that car, and it’s already been stolen once.”

 

“By a ghost, because someone left the keys in the ignition.”

 

“You aren’t gunna let me live that one down, are ya? Still not a bad idea.” Patty gave Erin a smile. “She’ll be fine. It’s winter, so no roasted pup.” She clapped her hands, “Lets load ‘em up!”

 

* * *

 

The townhouse they parked in front of and were about to bust a ghost in was a beautiful historic home that was one of a few remaining wooden homes on the Upper East Side. The Victorian home was a light blue with darker blue shutters and detailed woodwork along the roofline.

 

The three women grabbed their packs. Erin took a step towards the hearse’s backseat window and gave it a gentle tap, “Be good.” Nova wagged her tail until Erin turned around and walked towards the building. _Hey, don’t leave me in here._ She put her front paws up on the door’s armrest. _That’s so not fair!_ She let out a high-pitched yip. Erin turned and held a single finger to her lips. Nova sat back on the seat, folded her ears back, and widened her eyes. Erin just rolled her eyes and followed the other two Ghostbusters into the house.

 

Nova laid on the seat, head on the armrest so that she could still see out the window. Hours passed. Well, it felt like hours. It was actually only seventeen minutes. She let out a whine and fiddled with the door handle with one of her paws.

 

The sound of glass shattering forced her to look up. Shards of glass from the blue house flew onto the sidewalk and the hearse as well as the other car parked in front of the home. Nova maneuvered her paw, opened the door and ran for the front door. As she neared, she heard a loud humming coming from the window to the left of the door. She turned her attention back to the door. The handle was a brass knob. She bit at it a few times before giving up on that method of entering and looking for another.

 

Next to the door was a metal railing that was close enough to the window for her to jump through. She hopped onto the rail, balanced herself, and sprung forward through the window. She landed on an antique couch from the early 1800s, red and a bit warn from use. It softened her landing enough that the three women in the room didn’t notice the blonde Border collie’s entrance.

 

On the floor below her, was Erin. Nova could smell her fear. The dog’s eyes drifted up to the culprit of the fear, a very angry ghost. The spirit was a man, dressed in a suite that looked like it came from the film noir movies she watched with the last human she had lived with. The spirit was fighting desperately to get to Erin, who was trying to scramble backwards away from the specter. The only thing keeping it from reaching her were the two proton streams coming from Abby and Patty’s packs. Both women were struggling to get the spirit away form Erin and into the trap they had laid between them. They were failing as the spirit dragged them along.

 

Nova’s hackles flew up, the hair along her back fluffing up, making her look larger. Her protective snarl notified the three women as well as the ghost to her presence. She leapt forward and landed between the spirit and Erin. She barked, teeth bared, at the spirit that dared to scare Erin. _Back the fuck off!_

 

The spirit swiped at her once before she increased her aggression. She lunged forward, her bark deepening, and her lips pulled back farther. The spirit struck at her again. She managed to snap at the flying hand and landed a hit. Her teeth sunk into the ghost’s cold hand and he let out a screech. He pulled back as Nova advanced. She continued to snarl and snap until the spirit found himself being sucked into the trap. Nova let out a satisfied snort at the trapped spirit before turning to Erin who flung her arms around the dog.

 

“Okay, Nova can come on busts more often.” Abby said, trap in hand as she shuffled past Erin and Nova.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was really hard to write. Not because of the content or anything writing related. After last week's election results, I just didn't have any motivation to write. This is a very forced chapter and I apologize if it's not as good as the other chapters. 
> 
> I can't make promises about the next chapter. I just got a new job and I'm going to be working on applications for a Master's program, but I'll try to update as much as I can.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi....enjoy...sorry this is taking me forever to write....

 Abby and Patty didn’t argue when Erin insisted on going home after the bust. Nova could still smell her fear. It stuck to her like a horrid perfume. When they got home, Erin collapsed onto her couch and buried her face in her hands. She tried her best to prevent tears from falling. They crept down her cheeks and trailed down her hands and arms.

 

Nova trotted over to the couch, grabbed the blanket that was tossed over the back, and pulled it down so that it lay over Erin’s shoulders. The red head sniffled, pulling the blanket around her and used it to wipe her tears away. Nova could already smell the fear leaving her body as she curled up in Erin’s lap. _No ghost’s gunna hurt you while I’m around._

Erin stroked the dog curled against her body. Her breathing calmed and she began to relax. She leaned back against the couch and turned the TV on. She didn’t pay much attention to what was the on the screen. It was just noise, but it was enough to keep her calm and relaxed.

 

After an hour of sitting together in total calm and silence, Erin looked down at Nova. “Thank you,” she whispered, “You saved me.” She scratched the Border collie behind the ears and kissed the top of her head. Nova’s tail thumped against the couch cushion and she gave Erin a quick lick under her chin as she leaned back against the couch.

 

Erin stared down at the dog for a long moment. “You bit that ghost.” She said, “How did you do that?”

 

_Perks of being a shapeshifter._ Nova thought, leaning towards Erin and touching her nose against Erin’s nose.

 

Erin laughed, snorting before she regained her composure. “If only you could actually answer me.” She put her hand on the side of the dog’s head and stroked her thumb against the side of her head. Nova leaned into her touch and stared up into her dark blue eyes. “I’m so lucky I found you.”

 

Nova gave her a wink and wagged her tail.

“We should probably get dinner, ha?”

 

Nova let out a loud bark. She leapt from Erin’s lap and ran into the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh.” Abby groaned as she looked at the computer in front of her. “The containment unit is acting up again.”

 

“You want some help?” Patty asked from behind her history book.

 

“No, I got it.” She pushed out of her chair and trudged down to the basement where the containment unit was kept. Every new ghost seemed to require for some tweaks and adjustments.

 

After an hour of crunching numbers and making changes to the unit, Patty called down that she was leaving for the night. “Will you be okay? You want me to stay?”

 

“No. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Abby heard the door slam shut behind Patty as she put in the last of newly calculated numbers. With a turn of the wheel, the changes where put into affect. She held her breath at the machine whirled to life. She looked at the readings and smiled. “Nice and steady.” She huffed a sigh and smiled to herself.

 

The whirling cut out and a loud warning siren began to echo though the room. “No. No! Damnit!” She ran to the command center and reset the massive machine to the numbers and settings it had been at earlier. She watched it for a long moment and shook her head. She groaned, grabbed her coat, and trudged for the exit. “I’ll deal with you tomorrow.” She growled.

 

As the door shut behind her the light in the library flickered on and off a few times before shutting off. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so short! The next chapter is THE chapter ;) If you know what I mean.

 

Erin awoke to a high-pitched whimper. Nova was stretched out next to her. She was shaking, eyes closed, muscles tight. She let out another cry and kicked her back legs. “Hey, Nova. It’s okay. It’s a dream.” Erin whispered. Her hands ran over the blonde dog’s head and down her chest.

 

Nova let out another shudder and opened her eyes. The room was still dark, except for the red numbers on the night stand that read ‘3:30 AM.’ She crawled closer to Erin who still had a hand on her side. _I’m sorry I woke you._ Nova thought, licking Erin’s chin in apology.

 

“It’s okay.” Erin said, stroking Nova’s head, “I have them too.”

 

* * *

 

The firehouse smelled wrong. Nova couldn’t quite figure out where the scent was coming from, but it was there and it was strong enough to cause concern. She let out a low grumble as Erin took her jacket off. The sound made the human narrow her eyes at her.

 

“What’s wrong?” She said, kneeling down and scratching the dog behind the ears.

 

Nova looked around, still trying to pin point what was wrong while also trying to enjoy Erin’s attention. Erin grabbed a hold of the hair on either side of the dog’s face and kissed her forehead.

 

“Come on. Lets get to work.” They made their way up the stairs towards Erin’s office and that’s when she saw him. He was barely visible to her canine eyes, let alone a human’s. There was no way Erin could have seen him. The man was hunched over and much larger than Erin. He wore a cowboy hat and a whip. He looked like he belonged in the Wild West.

 

Nova stopped dead in her tacks. Her eyes glued to the corner where he stood. Erin took a few steps before noticing the dog’s absence and stopped to look back at her furry companion. Erin narrowed her eyes again. She looked from Nova to the corner she was staring at. She eyed the corner for a long moment before shaking her head.

 

“Come on. I’ve got work to do.”

 

Nova narrowed her eyes at the specter before following Erin into her office. The ghost watched her go. The lights flickered behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long!!

Nova stretched her legs forward, spreading her paws out in front of her. Her mouth opened into a long yawn; tongue stretching out and curing back into her mouth. The sun had long since set. Both her and Erin were the only living beings in the building yet again.

 

The spirit hadn’t come near Nova and she kept herself glued to Erin’s side. He hadn’t done anything to the other two women either. Both comforted and disturbed by this information, she hopped off the couch and watch Erin for a long moment as she sat at her desk scribbling on a piece of paper.

 

Erin looked up from her desk and smiled down at Nova. She glanced at her watch and sighed, “We should be getting home.”

 

Nova’s tail began to wag.

 

Erin giggled, “Alright. Lets go.” She stood, leaving her papers for tomorrow and followed Nova as she trotted out the door. Erin reached forward and playfully scratched at the base of Nova’s tail. The blonde border collie tucked her butt and whipped around to face Erin with her front end down on the ground and her back end in the air, tail curled almost over her back.

 

The woman stopped in front of the dog, eyes wide and teeth showing in a massive smile that lit up her eyes. “I’m gunna get ya.” She teased.

 

Nova let out a little wooing sound and took off down the hallway towards the stairs. When she reached the top of the steps, she spun around to face Erin again. When her eyes fell on Erin, it was just in time to see the male spirit send her flying across the room onto one of the lab tables. Nova froze as she watch Erin hit the table and roll onto the floor. Then she focused on the dead man. Her lips curled up into a snarl and growled low in her chest. _No ghost is going to hurt my human!_

 

She pushed off the floor with all her strength. She ran full force at the ghost, propelling herself into the arm. She threw herself at him. Clamping down on her arm, the spirit screamed and shook.

 

He whipped his arm around in a failed attempt to free himself from her grasp. She sunk her teeth deeper into his ectoplasmic arm. “What are you!?” He cried. Sick of the pain, he wrapped his hand around her scruff and pulled her off. She took a mouth full of ectoplasm with her as he peeled his arm free and tossed her in Erin’s direction.

 

The border collie landed on her side and rolled to her feet in front of the table Erin had flipped onto its side. Nova stood there, snarling. Green ectoplasm dripped from her teeth to the floor. It tasted like rotting blood. She found herself enjoying it and wanting more.

 

Erin managed to regain herself and sat up so that she could see over the table. The spirit was no longer focusing on her. Instead, his full attention was on the dog standing between him and her.

 

The spirit looked at what remained of his arm, then back at Nova. “Y’r no dog.” He growled, “I know y’r kind. Demon!”

 

Nova’s hackled grew into a spiky haired ridge down her back. _Fuck you, too!_

Both ghost and shape shifter flew forward at the same time. Nova leapt into the air, jaw open, aiming for the spirit’s neck. He planted his feet, swung his right arm backward and then punched it forward. He grabbed ahold of her neck, eliciting a high-pitched yelp. The ghost slammed her to the ground with enough force to leave a large spider web of cracks in the tile.

 

Nova’s world spun. The pressure on her neck increased. Air no long made its way to her lungs. The pair of organs burned in her chest, thirsty for oxygen.

 

Erin turned around, eyeing the grenade on the counter behind her. Abby had been testing it earlier. She said that she was 90 percent sure it would hurt only a ghost. That was the best she had, 90 percent would have to do. She pulled the pin and chucked it at the ghost. It exploded into a flash of light. The ghost was gone. So was Nova. But in her place was a blonde woman, laying unconscious on the ground.

 

Erin froze, staring at the woman. She was wear nothing, except the dog collar Nova had been wearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, shit has been fucking crazy in my life. Between dealing with my mental illness, work, and my dogs, I've been a bit distracted. But, honestly, it felt good to go back and get this chapter done. I'm sorry if there are any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta reader and I honestly wanted to get this up ASAP cause I know y'all have been waiting for it. I hope you like it. Don't worry, I'm hoping to get another chapter written in a day or two (I know, quick, right?! LOL), so I don't leave y'all on a cliff hanger for too long.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, took a little bit longer than I wanted to write this. One of my dogs, my dachshund, got really sick Thursday and I've been a bit anxious about him, so I really couldn't focus on anything other than him. But he is getting better, so...well...here y'all go! Enjoy! Hope you like it!

The gentle hum of the Erin’s old desktop and the faint tick of a nearby clock greeted her first as she regained her senses. She could smell the faintest whiff of Clorox bleach wafting into the room. It hung in her nose, stinging her sinuses. The lights were dimmed, she noticed as her eyes opened. Everything was blurred and she struggled to focus. Panic set in and she tried to sit up. Her head pounded and nausea swept over her, forcing her to lie back down onto the couch in Erin’s office.

 

“Easy, easy, you’re okay.” She could barely make out the shape of Erin coming to kneel at her side, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

 

The shifter’s vision cleared and a sudden realization overtook her. She was human. Erin was stand there next to her. Erin had seen her. She was human! And she was naked!

 

She grabbed for the blanket that had been tossed over her and pulled it up to her neck. “Fine.” She squealed, trying to clear her throat, which caused pain to throb throughout her neck. Her voice was hoarse as she began to panic, “I can-”

 

“It’s alright.” Erin said, cutting her off, “I do want an explanation, but that ghost hit you hard. Your neck is deeply bruised and I can only imagine how much it hurts just to breathing.”

 

The shapeshifter nodded.

 

“I do have one question I would like to know now, though.” Erin took a deep breath, scratching at the back of her neck, “What’s your name? I gave you the dumbest name when you were a dog. I can’t keep calling you Nova, that’s just wrong.”

 

The shapeshifter smiled, “Holtzmann. Holtz for short.” She chuckled with a wince, “It was the best dog name I’ve had in a while.”

 

Erin gave her a soft smile. “Alright, Holtzmann. It’s nice to meet you and thank you…you’ve saved my life twice now.”

 

Holtzmann smiled. “I figured you would be panicking.”

 

“Why? Because I found out you weren’t actually a dog?” Erin started scratching at the back of her head again, “You’ve been unconscious for about an hour.” She paused, “I already panicked.” Erin took a deep breath and stood up, “If you are feeling alright, I’d like to get us home-or…well….back to my apartment. Neither of us has had dinner and since you saved my life, twice now, I owe you a lot more than just dinner.”

 

Holtzmann stared at her for a long moment.

 

Erin walked over to a pile of cloths on her desk. She set them down on the couch next to Holtzmann, “They should fit. Get dressed and we’ll get going. You should really rest somewhere more comfortable than an decrepit couch.”

 

Holtzmann watched as Erin left the room. She sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over her forehead before sliding the sweatpants and sweatshirt on. _I can’t believe she isn’t throwing me out on the street or calling the cops._ She ran her fingers through her hair, composing herself before stepping out into the hallway where Erin was waiting.

 

The scent of bleach hit her like she had just walked into a brick wall. She couldn’t help but cough.

 

“I’m sorry. Clorox is the only thing that gets rid of ectoplasm.”

 

“Doesn’t just get rid of ectoplasm.” Holtz said with a soft smile.

 

Erin gave her a weak smile. Holtzmann could see the shame in her eyes. She blamed herself for the bruising and the pain the other woman was feeling. “Why aren’t you scared of me?”

 

“You saved my life. And you’ve been living with me for weeks and if you wanted to hurt me, you’ve had ample opportunity to do so.” Erin stared at her for a long moment, “I feel safe with you. Whether you’re…” She looked her up and down for a second before shrugging, “or a dog. There’s just…I don’t know.” She laughed it off, “It’s crazy. I know.”

 

Holtz smiled, “Thank you. For everything.”

 

Erin beamed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she eye glided down to her feet, “We should get going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do y'all think? Too sappy? Do y'all want to see Erin freaking out? I might do a mini chapter of her panicking. Not sure though.....


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, short chapter. But it's really fluffy and cute?

“I’m exhausted.” Erin said as the two women stumbled through the door of her apartment, “Lets get some sleep. We can talk about everything in the morning.” She gave Holtz a soft smile and took a few steps towards the bedroom.

 

“I’ll take the couch.” Holtzman said.

 

Erin stopped. She paused for a second before looking back at the blonde. She hadn’t even considered that she would have been uncomfortable sleeping in bed with her as a human. Her mind began to race over how dumb she was to assume that Holtz had willingly slept next to her as a dog. It had probably all been to keep her cover. She didn’t truly care about her. How could she?

 

“Erin?”

 

She refocused, her eyes gliding from the floor up to Holtz’s blue eyes.

 

“I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable with…everything.” Her voice was quiet, gentle, like a butterfly landing on a petal. “If you’d prefer I sleep with you, I’d be happy to.”

 

Erin found herself releasing a sigh, her eyes falling shut and a small smile crossed her lips. Holtz could see the woman in front of her visibly relax. She nodded, “I’d like that. I…have…”

 

“Nightmares. I know.” Holtzman gave her a reassuring smile and placed a tentative hand on Erin’s shoulder. “If you’d like, I change into a dog.”

 

“No, no…. whatever you are more comfortable being. I just…” Erin looked down at her feet, her fingers dancing across arm, “I’ve gotten accustomed to having you there. I just….” Erin’s body began to tremble.

 

Holtzman wrapped her arms around the taller woman, giving her a soft squeeze, “Hey, it’s okay.” She rubbed her back as Erin curled her arms around her and buried her face into Holtzman’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere. Unless you don’t want me here, I’d like to stay.”

 

Erin squeezed her tighter. Her shaking slowly stopped and she pulled back from Holtz, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be.” Holtz said, leading her towards the bedroom. “It’s been a…stressful evening.”

 

The redhead nodded. She gave Holtz and nightshirt and sweatpants while she put on a similar pair of pants and a t-shirt. They crawled into opposite sides of the bed, both unsure of what to do. Holtz peered over at Erin. She was laying on her side with her back to her. Holtz crawled forward and put an arm over Erin’s side.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

Erin pushed back against Holtz’s chest and let out a soft sigh that lit up the blonde’s face. _She’s so cuddly for a human._ Holtz pressed her nose into Erin’s hair and fell asleep to the faint scent of her berry shampoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS is the end. I hope you all enjoyed. This was going to be longer but life has gotten in the way.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this story. Thank you for your support.

**Author's Note:**

> I feed off of positive reinforcement, so kudos and comments go a LONG WAY!  
> <3 Thank you!! <3


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